James 01

The writer is James, the half brother of Jesus, called James the Just. (The apostle James, the brother of John, was killed in the early days of the church, Acts 12:1,2.) He was unsaved till after the resurrection, but became overseer of the Jerusalem church where he supported Paul at the Jerusalem council. He prayed so much he was called “Old Camel Knees”.  Alarmed by the progress of the gospel, Anunus, son of Annas, formerly high priest, had  James pushed from a pinnacle of or near the temple because he would not renounce his faith. He was then stoned by the Pharisees, and still able to get to his knees, his brains were beaten out with a club. Probably 44 - 50 AD.  He was buried near the temple in the place where he was martyred. A venerated monument was erected there, but was later destroyed by the Romans. The wisest Jews considered him a man of God and disapproved of the murder. They made complaint to king Agrippa and Albinus, the Roman governor, and Anunus was removed from priesthood. Josephus affirms that the war which the Romans made against the Jews, and following calamities, were imputed to the death of this just man.
Someone gave this outline of Living Faith in the book of James:
Perfection of Faith--through trials, Chap. 1
Proof of Faith--through works, Chap. 2
Practical evidence of Faith--through wisdom, Chap. 3
through attitudes, Chap. 4
Power of Faith--through perseverance, Chap. 5
v 1. Mary and Joseph had children among whom were James (and Joses, Jude and Simon), Mt. 1:25; 12:46,47; 13:55; Mk. 3:31,32: Lk 8:19,20. Though a half brother of Jesus, he calls himself a servant, and in 2:1 calls Christ the Lord of Glory. He is writing to Jewish Christians scattered throughout the Mediterranean world because of persecution.
v 2. We won’t have external happiness, but with our trust in the Lord, we can have inner joy in things which others might consider calamities. These believers were disowned by their families and some martyred.
v 3,4. Sufferings produce endurance and patience which result in the development and completion of our character.
v 5. We are not to pray that our testings be removed, but that we may have the wisdom to best apply them. God will answer this kind of prayer abundantly and without rebuking us for our lack of wisdom.
v 6-8. The granting of the prayer for wisdom is conditioned on faith. Wavering between wanting God’s will or our own will is like the surging waves of the sea along a shore. God will not answer the man of two minds who is uncertain if he wants to submit to his own desires or God’s will. We might go so far as to say he knows what God wants, but lives his life contrary to that. He may be generous in his church, but a shyster in business transactions. 
v 9-11. A believer of humble circumstances can rejoice that he has been elevated to an heir of God. The rich can rejoice that he has been shown his spiritual poverty and is too an heir of God, because in the light of eternity, riches are just as temporary as the withering grass.
v 12. “When he is tried” would be at the Judgment Seat of Christ. After testing comes reward, not eternal life, which the believer already has, but the crown of life, for enduring testings faithfully.  This is sometimes called the martyr’s crown. We can have fulness of life right now, reign in life as in Rom. 5:17 and be more than conquerors as in Rom. 8:37, but the crown of life is awarded in eternity.
v 13. Since Adam blamed God for giving him Eve and her offer of fruit, people have blamed God, but He is not tempted nor tempts others to do evil.
v 14,15. Rather, we are enticed by our own evil desire (lust), which leads to sin. Lust is conceived when the image of it is in our mind. Satan tempts us at our weakest moment. The wages of sin is spiritual death to the unbeliever, unconfessed sin in a believer leads to spiritual poverty and  sometimes physical death.
v 16-18. Don’t be deceived about the source of temptation which is within ourselves. God is not variable as the sunsets, eclipses etc. of the lights He has created, but He is always the same. His perfect and greatest gift to us is eternal life. As a result we are sort of a firstfruits, as in the Old Testament, a pledge of future harvest. Believers of the Church Age are resurrected first, the pledge of a redeemed race which will follow.
v 19. “Wherefore” Because we are born of God, we have a family reputation to uphold, and should be ready to listen to God’s Word, but exercise self control in expressing wrath and ill will, no hasty speech. 
v 20,21. Anger does not promote righteousness, so we should rid ourselves of wickedness. Instead, humbly welcome the Word which has the power to save souls. Here this has nothing to do with going to heaven. The Word engrafted in a believer by the Holy Spirit will be incorporated in our lives as much as a grafted shoot on a plant. This is the second of three tenses of salvation, being saved from the dominion of sin. Cp. Lk. 9:23-26 and Heb. 7:25, save our value, the value of our souls. 
v 22-24. Don’t merely listen to the Word, but obey it, or we will be as someone who looks in a mirror, but does nothing about his appearance.
v 25. If we obey the commands we see in the mirror of God’s Word, the truth will set us free (Jn. 8:31,32), and we will have liberty and be blessed in what we do.
v 26. If we “talk the talk but don’t walk the walk”, our religion is deceptive and worthless.
v 27. True  religion acceptable to God will express itself externally in helping meet the needs of others and keeping ourselves uncontaminated by the world.

James 02

v 1. There should be no partiality in the presence of the Christ of glory. (Reminds of a pastor who peeked through a key hole to see if there were prominent people entering who he would go out and greet with a big political smile.)
v 2-4. Assembly is translated synagogue 55 out of 57 times, but we can consider it an assembly of believers. Such discrimination comes from your own evil thoughts. 
v 5. Those in material poverty may be the spiritually rich.
v 6,7. Not all, but generally, it is the rich who have humiliated and dominated over the poor and shown less respect for the Lord.
v 8,9. Lev. 19:18 tells us to love our neighbor as ourselves, and Deut. 1:17 says it is  a direct violation of the law to favor the rich.
v 10,11. Partiality is sin, and even that one thing, being a breach of the law, is sufficient to condemn one. Sin is sin in God’s sight, but this does not mean sins are equal in their affect upon  others.
v 12,13. Under the law of liberty believers sin from time to time and will not be condemned, but this does not give them license to sin. Because God has been merciful to him, he should show mercy to others.
v 14. This is specifically written to believers, “brethren”. It is a rhetorical question concerning the false claim of faith. Genuine faith is evidenced by works.
v 15,16. This is a hypothetical but realistic illustration that good wishes are of little value is one is capable of providing a need, but does not.
v 17. This is a statement, not that works are necessary for salvation, but to give evidence of that salvation.
v 18. He emphasizes that works are the evidence of faith.
v 19. Demons believe there is one God and fear more than many men, but are still doomed. I believed many things about God before I placed my trust in Him.
v 20. A tree is struck by  lightning without  thunder, and a man is saved by faith without works. But it is also true that the tree cannot be struck by lightning without thunder following, so a person cannot be saved by faith without works following.
v 21-24. In Romans 4, Paul quotes Gen. 15:6 to prove Abraham was justified by faith. It is not a contradiction that James quotes the same verse to prove that Abraham, though justified by faith, it was evidenced by what he did. His faith showed itself by his willingness to offer Isaac, Gen. 22. We might replace the word “justified” thus. Abraham was declared righteous by faith (Paul) but proved righteous by works (James).
v 25,26. Rahab proved her trust in God by caring for the spies, His messengers. Faith and works are not in contrast or opposition, but are as essential as body and spirit, or breath being together. Faith with no evidence of works may be considered dead, not the real thing. We Worship, Walk and Work because of His Worth.
“Sterling” doesn’t make a ring solid (92 1/2 % pure) silver, it simply indicates it already is. Works don’t make a person a Christian, but simply show his faith is real. Unsaved living lives of good works are just as worthless to God  as a silver object stamped “Sterling”, but not meeting the purity test. Good works of Abraham and Rahab were the “sterling” marks showing their faith was genuine.

James 03

v 1. This is not telling us to avoid teaching, but points out the high responsibility we have. I don’t believe I have effectively taught my Sunday School class unless  a change is effected in the lives of my pupils. Even in public school, teachers can be a mighty force for good or evil. We assume greater accountability and likewise greater condemnation for failure. Don’t  give a novice a class to teach so he will keep coming.
v 2. Mt. 12:37, By thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. Teachers must discipline themselves not to make rash statements or display temper by snapping at the kids and bawling them out before others. This is not mere self control, but the product of faith, love and the indwelling Holy Spirit. If one can control their tongue, we may assume they can control other areas of their lives.
v 3-5. Here are three analogies of how small things can exert great effect. A small piece of metal in a horse’s mouth can turn it, by one hand on a rudder one can control a ship, and one spark can ignite a fire that will cause millions of dollars of damage. So an idle word may flame into gossip which will do great, irrevocable harm.
v 6. The tongue is not like fire but is fire, ignited by the devil, and reaping destruction on others as well as our own personalities and natures.
v 7,8. In contrast to how creatures in a circus or seaquarium have been tamed, the tongue, with it’s evil mouth piece of Satan, can only be tamed by the grace of God.
v 9,10. The tongue itself is neutral, but it can be used to glorify God and do much good, or be a tool of Satan for destruction. This is inconsistent and wrong. Cursing would include the minced oaths, gee, golly, gosh etc. Jesus said, swear not at all. Mt. 5.
v 11,12. A spring may produce bitter mineral water or good clear water, but not both. Neither in the nature of plants do we see such contradiction, and should not hear Christians saying helpful words with their mouths, then swearing and evil talking.
v 13. This perhaps goes back to verse one and capability of teachers. It is good to have knowledge, better to be able to use it rightly, doing good works with humbleness.
v 14-16. Have no pride in wisdom expressed by our tongue in bitterness, strife and sensuality, because it is not from above, but instigated by Satan. 
v 17,18. In contrast, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, Prov. 9:10, and this wisdom results in good works and a cleansed tongue. That person is caring, uncritical and forgiving. He figuratively plants the seeds that produce righteousness and peace.

James 04

v 1. In contrast to the last verse of chapter 3, we see all kinds of conflicts within the church, stemming from personal temptations, desires and prejudices.
v 2. “Kill” is murder, but probably in the sense Jesus spoke  concerning anger, which is murder in the heart. They were living viciously instead of asking of God.
v 3. Those who did pray were asking for their own pleasure, not God’s will.
v 4. Their adultery was flirting with and becoming a lover of the world, making them not only unfaithful to God but His enemies.
v 5,6. The Holy Spirit in us desires our undivided devotion. God gives sufficient grace for all, but some proudly try to direct their own lives. He gives more grace to those who are humble and ready to receive it from Him.
v 7-10. This list is imperatives, a. Submit to God  b. Resist  the devil (and he will flee) c. Draw  near to God  d. Cleanse your hands  e. Purify your hearts  f. Be afflicted, mourn and weep  g. Humble yourselves. Do those things and God will exalt us.
Ways to resist the Devil:
Eph. 6:13  put on whole armor of God
Rev 12:10,11  testify and claim blood of the Lamb
Matt. 4:10,11  Use Scripture
v 11,12. All untrue criticism is wrong. Faultfinding, malicious and unnecessary criticism is wrong. We must certainly discern between right and wrong and in some cases use righteous judgment, John 7:24, but let  all other judgment be of God.
v 13,14. Many eastern merchants are itinerant, going from town to town selling and buying goods which they pass on in another town. Their gains may have been substantial, but go to (come) you don’t know what the future holds. Worldliness includes planning for the future without taking God into account. We don’t know before the next breath how long our earthly life will last.
v 15,16. In all things we should determine it should be the Lord’s will. However do not allow those words to be merely a cliché’. It is boastful and conceited to make our plans with no thought of what God wants. Many times we make up our minds to a course of action and pray to God to conform to it.
v 17. If we know all the instructions of the Word (here especially of what has just been said) and fail to obey them, it is sin.

James 05

v 1. The Bible records several wealthy men who were not condemned for their wealth. Men in this verse are probably openly unsaved or mere professors who were reveling in their luxury and pleasure without regard to eternity. 
v 2,3. Grains and clothing were their means of storing wealth, and over time, they deteriorated. Gold and silver also lost some quality or were lost or stolen. In the last days they had stored  up wealth, but had also “stored up wrath”, Rom. 2:5, for the day of judgment, by how they had gained or used their wealth.
v 4. Laborers were victims of their corrupt labor payment practices and the Lord heard  the laborers’ complaint. Point out to students with KJV that this is not Sabbath but Sabaoth, or Lord of Armies - Lord of Hosts, referring to all angelic beings.
v 5,6. While this is to the wealthy, every Christian should ask himself how much luxury he should allow himself. The rich can dominate over others not only in daily living, but in the courts and in government.
v 7,8. Christianity has slowly led social reform, apart from some questionable present day quick fixes. It requires the patience of waiting for a crop to grow, but these things will all be corrected at the coming of the Lord. (Believers will experience this at that time, those saved later at the end of the Tribulation.)
v 9-11. Don’t murmur against other believers in impatience and frustration. Job and the prophets had sufferings with patience, but God proves  faithful in the end.
v 12. Paul called upon God as witness in Gal. 1:20 and 2 Cor. 1:23, and this is not forbidding oath of office or in court. It is against using oath to prove your point in daily contacts. It also is against taking the Lord’s name in vain or profanity of any type.
v 13. Instead of profanity a believer in trouble should pray. To express emotion he can joyously sing spiritual songs.
v 14. The Greek usually means a physical weakness, but the different word used here may imply spiritual weakness. The oil may mean either medication with prayer, or a ceremonial act. Some even feel it has to do with the gift of healing in the early church. It is definitely not extreme unction before death as practiced in the Roman Catholic church, because this has to do with healing, not death.
v 15,16a. Prayer must be in faith, and God does not promise to always heal. Paul had to accept his own problem and he left Trophimus in Miletum sick, 2 Tim. 4:20. Sin must be dealt with before healing can be expected. Some faults must be confessed together privately, some before the church or community, and some only to God. A chalkboard idea is a wall “Sin” between the petitioner, and health and effective prayer. Actually, the context here perhaps has a greater emphasis on spiritual weakness rather than physical weakness. This emphasis also connects better with verses 19 & 20. 
v 16b-18. Elijah is given as an example of effectual fervent prayer. He had to have felt positively, perhaps revealed by the Holy Spirit, that this was God’s will.
v 19,20. The social aspects of James 5 are important, but spiritual truth and salvation of souls is even more important. It is not just our pastors who are to reach out for erring Christians of v19  or the unsaved of v20, it is the duty and privilege of every believer.

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In the early 90's I started studing the bible by taking college courses, because I believe the Lord wanted me to become a pastor in a Nazarne Church. My goal has changed with all my studies. My wife and I have both joined the Catholic Church. I have read and compared numerous translations and commentaries in my many years of studying the bible. Some of these authorities disagree with each other. I come across information on studies and classes that I have taken 15 to 20 years before and I have no documentation of where it came from. Plus I have given away or returned many books for college classes that I have taken. So if I have failed to give someone the credit that is due them I ask for their forgiveness. The following is a list of translations and commentaries that I still have and use.

1. Apocrypha
2. Confessions of St Augustine
3. Divine Comedy of Dante (Henery Carytr)
4. King James Bible
5. LDS (Mormons)
6. Martin Luther
7. St John of the Cross
8. Budhist
9. Christian-King James
10. Hindu
11. Islam
12. Judaism
13. Sikh
14. Tao
15. Zoroastrian

OUR ETERNAL HOME by Richard W. Dehaan,
PROPHECY STUDY BIBLE by Tim Lahaye
READER'S DIGEST JESUS AND HIS TIMES by the Readers Digest Association Inc,
REFLECTING GOD STUDY BIBLE By Zondervan Corporation;
SAINT JOSEPH EDITION OF THE NEW AMERICAN BIBLE by Catholic Book Publishing Co.
SEVEN KEYS TO FAMILY POWER by Billy Joe Daugherty,
SIX HOURS ONE FRIDAY by Max Lacado,
THE AMPLIFIED BIBLE by the Zondervan Corporation;
THE BATTLE BELONGS TO THE LORD by Jocyce Meyer,
THE BIBLE PROMISE BOOK by Babbour Publishing Inc,
THE BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER by Charles Mortimer Guilbert
THE BOOK OF HOPE by Tyndale House Publishiers, Inc,
THE BORN AGAIN CATHOLIC by Albert H. Boudreau,
THE CASE FOR CHRIST by Lee Strobel,
THE CATHOLIC ANSWER BOOK by Peter MJ Stravinsiasi
THE COMPLETE BOOK OF BIBLE KNOWLEDGE by Mark D. Taylor;
THE DAY CHRIST DIED by Jim Bishop,
THE GREAT BIBLE QUESTION AND ANWERS BOOK by Playmore Inc
THE HOME BIBLE STUDY COURSE by Dr. Harold L. Wilmington;
THE KING JAMES BIBLE ARCHAIE WORDS DEFIND by David W. Daniel
THE KING JAMES BIBLE COMPANION by David W. Daniels;
THE KING JAMES STUDY BIBLE by Thomas Nelson Publishers,
THE LAYMAN’S BIBLE  DICTIONARY by George W. Knight and Rayburn W. Ray;
THE LAYMAN’S PARALLEL NEW TESTAMENT by Zondervan Bible Publisher
THE LAYMAN'S LIST by Calance Stucup
THE MESSAGE BIBLE by Eugone H. Peterson,
THE NEW AMERICAN BIBLE by World Catholic Press;
THE NEW AMERICAN BIBLE Saint Joseph Edition;
THE NEW STRONG’S EXHAUSTIVE CONCORDANCE OF THE BIBLE by James Strong LL. D S.T.D.;
THE RISKS AND REWARDS OF INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE by Cardinal Francis Arinze
THE TRINITY by Rose Publish
THE VERY FIRST ESTER by Paul L. Maier,
THE WAY CATHOLIC LIVING BIBLE by Tyndale House Publishers;
UNCHRISTIAN by David Kennan and Gabe Lyon
UNDERSTANDING GOD’S LOVE by Ronald Greib
VINE’S EXPOSITORY DICTIONARY OF OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT WORDS By W. E. Vine;
WHAT’S SO SECRET ABOUT THE RAPTURRE? By Christian Record Services, INC
WHEN GOD WINKS AT YOU by Tomas Nelson
WILLMINGTON’S GUIDE TO THE BIBLE by Dr. H.L. Willmington,
WOMAN OF FAITH STUDY BIBLE by Zschech/Heillsong
YESTERDAY TODAY AND FOREVER by New Leaf Press
YOU WERE BORN FOR THIS by Anthony Wilhen

08/19/2011